


The Rat’s Escape

by logolepsy_girl



Series: Imagination [3]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-25
Updated: 2020-11-25
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:55:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,051
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27715090
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/logolepsy_girl/pseuds/logolepsy_girl
Summary: After the events of 31 October 1981, Peter Pettigrew escapes and has to deal with the mental and emotional implications of his actions.
Series: Imagination [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2027090





	The Rat’s Escape

The rat scampered down the sewer, running as fast as he could, not noticed or seen. He needed to escape, he needed to get away, but there was no one chasing him... 

He came across a ladder that led up, and quickly ran up it, out of the sewer. But he didn't stop. He kept running, desperate. He had no idea where he was going, but he didn't care. All he knew is that he had to get away as fast as possible. 

He ran for what seemed like miles, but still, he didn't stop. If he did, they would be able to find him easier and he may be taken away. He kept running in a frenzy. His little rat feet begged him to stop and rest, but he pushed through it and kept going. 

Finally, he could take it no longer. He had to stop. Running as a rat was always exhausting. He remembered it had been difficult to keep up with his friends when they went out at night. He had to take so many steps and he couldn't go very far without wearing himself out. 

The rat darted into an alleyway, hoping he wasn't seen by anyone. He looked around to see if the coast was clear. 

The alleyway was dingy and dark, full of rubbish and rats like him. There was not a soul to be seen. He wasn’t surprised. No one would want to be in such a smelly, foul, dismal place. It was a perfect place to hide-for now. 

When the rat was convinced he was alone, he took the chance and transformed. 

In the rats place was a man, a short, plump man with watery eyes. The most curious part of him, however, was his hand. He was missing a finger, and the cut was still fresh, wet blood gleaming in the moonlight. 

The man's name was Peter Pettigrew.

Cradling his injured hand, Peter slumped against the wall, breathing heavily. His mind was whirling with uncomfortable thoughts, trying to sort everything out. Just a few hours ago, everything had gone to pieces, and he had caused it. He couldn't even wrap his mind around what had happened, with the Wizarding War coming to a screeching halt. 

He had nowhere to go now. James and Lily were dead, Sirius was in Azkaban because of him, and he had no idea where Remus was. He doubted very much that his "friends" would like to see him now. 

The Death Eaters wouldn't be pleased to see him, either. He was the reason why Voldemort was gone, why he was defeated. He had provided information that brought the Dark Lord to his doom. 

He had to figure out what to do now that he had nowhere to go, but that didn't concern him. He had other things on his mind. 

He had messed up big time. He had torn his friends apart. He had seen Remus and Sirius accuse each other of being the spy. He had framed Sirius and locked him up in Azkaban. James and Lily had had a son, and now he would grow up without his parents. All of this happened because of him. 

So many things were all his fault. 

Remorse crashed over him like ocean waves. His friends had been kind to him. They had stood up for him when he was picked on in school, and they had helped him when he needed it. And how did Peter repay them? By betraying them, by being a sneaky, cowardly little rat.

He didn't want to be Peter anymore, he wanted to be someone else. It was too much. He wanted to say that it was someone else who had caused all these terrible things. He wanted a Time-Turner so that he could go back and fix his mistakes. 

But it was no use. He was still Peter, and he couldn't go back to change things. He was sure that if he did, he would mess things up further and cause a catastrophe. 

He had covered his tracks well, but he was worried that the truth would be uncovered eventually. Sirius knew the truth. If he ever escaped from Azkaban, Peter knew that Sirius would hunt him down. He would want justice and he would find him, sly dog that he was. 

There was nothing to be done. He had to hide, and he couldn’t go back to change things. He would have to learn to live with his remorse, but it wouldn’t be easy. The Dark Lord and his followers didn’t like remorse, especially when it involved their enemies. Yes, to continue to be a faithful follower, he would have to suppress his guilt. 

Peter looked up at the moon, wondering where his loyalties lied and where his friends were. All his life, he’d been abused, scared and confused. He had always been miserable, always overshadowed by his popular friends. He was no Gryffindor, even though that was his House. He had no talents, nothing to show for himself. 

Now his name would be reduced to mud. Nobody would want to remember a traitor. 

He had lost just as much as anyone else in this war. The only place he had been truly happy was at Hogwarts with his friends, pulling their silly pranks and just having a good old time. He would give anything to go back to those days. 

But now his friends were gone. He had lost what little reputation he had. He had no home, nowhere safe to go. 

He shook his head to clear his rather depressing thoughts. Acting like this won’t help you at all, he told himself. You’re not supposed to feel this way. 

The thing is, he was, and it made him feel even worse. 

He turned his thoughts away from what had happened and focused on trying to find a place to sleep. He was still exhausted, and his injured hand was making him pale and weak. 

He transformed back into a rat and started to search. Finally, he found a suitable place in a little crook in a cinderblock, just big enough for him to fit in. 

He snuggled in and fell asleep almost immediately. 

Tomorrow would be another exhausting day of being on the run and fighting his conscience again.

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! Hope you enjoyed this story! 
> 
> Again, this is available on Wattpad (@logolepsy-girl) and you find my original works there, too. 
> 
> Hope you’re all having a great day!


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